Scientists and former military officials discuss the global nuclear threat in an age of terrorism

Washington, D.C., January 25, 2004 - U.S., Russian and Asian scientists, former military officials and federal weapons laboratory representatives will offer a wide range of perspectives about the role of nuclear weapons in a post-Cold War 21st century at a conference sponsored by the Nuclear Policy Research Institute (NPRI).

Among the topics to be discussed at the three-day conference are increased U.S. assistance and cooperation with Russia to strengthen safeguards for the 5,000 operational nuclear missiles on hair-trigger alert in the U.S. and Russia, which are prime terrorist targets. These missiles, fitted with nuclear warheads that would deliver 1,500 megatons of atomic power on intended targets in each country, are prepared to launch within three minutes of a computer signal.

"Unprecedented acts of terrorism are driving the American public's willingness to grant its government broad powers to wage war. Those attitudes, as well as intense pressure from weapons makers to use military force, an administration willing to use nuclear weapons preemptively as 'routine' instruments of war, and deteriorating and fallible early warning systems all pose a very real threat of nuclear conflict," said Helen Caldicott, M.D., founder and president of the Nuclear Policy
Research Institute.

During the last three years, the Bush administration has made nuclear programs a high priority, with a significant increase in resources for the modernization of the U.S. arsenal, a reinvigoration of the national missile defense program, and increased militarization of space.

"The U.S. focus on Iranian, Libyan and North Korean nuclear weapons production is misguided, adds Caldicott. "The most troubling fact is that the U.S. is spending billions of dollars each year to maintain its vast nuclear arsenal and to prepare to wage a full-scale nuclear war with Russia - its ally in the fight against terror - more than a decade after the end of the Cold War."

The United States and Russia own 96 percent of the world's estimated 30,000 nuclear weapons. Other nations will be reluctant to stop their weapons production unless the two superpowers agree to de-alert their nuclear missiles and eventually eliminate their huge arsenals. Global collaboration is necessary to complete an inventory of the nuclear arsenals of all nations and raise the international standard of protection against collusion with terrorists or insiders.

According to the Center for Defense Information (CDI), the primary motivation for the recent allocation of $7.5 million for new and improved thermonuclear "bunker busters" is not to intimidate the leaders of "rogue nations" but to destroy high-level Russian nuclear command bunkers deep inside the Kosvinsky and Yamantau mountains. Moreover, the number of targets in the U.S. Single Integrated Operation Plan (SIOP) has increased from 2,500 to 3,000 since the end of the Cold War. (Source: CDI)

This level of spending for the global nuclear arsenal is unsustainable, and imposes great costs and risk to all inhabitants on Earth. "With each federal appropriation for new weapons and delivery systems, we are mortgaging our children's future," said Charles Sheehan-Miles, NPRI Executive Director.

Scientists, policymakers, military and medical experts, federally-funded weapons designers, journalists, academics and students will gather January 25 through 27 to address important issues, such as:

The rationale for de-alerting the U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals

Terrorist threats to nuclear stockpiles

Stockpile stewardship

Accidental nuclear exchanges -- how a nuclear war could start

Terrorist and hacker intrusions into computerized early warning systems

The role of business, science and the military in nuclear arms proliferation

The medical and ecological consequences of nuclear winter

The objective of this conference is to provide a non-partisan forum of experts to share new information about the risks and costs of accelerating nuclear brinksmanship into the 21st century.

The Nuclear Policy Research Institute, founded in 2002, is a non-profit 501(c)3 research and education organization based in Washington, D.C. and San Francisco, CA. Its mission is to increase awareness of the medical and environmental effects, both intended and unintended, of nuclear weapons, nuclear power and waste.

MEDIA ADVISORY

For January 25-27, 2004

A historic summit of nuclear opponents, supporters of nuclear weapons as a deterrent, and federal weapons lab designers will address the role of nuclear weapons in the 21st century on January 25-27 in Washington, D.C.

The group, many of them U.S. and Russian scientists and former military officials, will highlight the need to focus not on so called "rogue nations" but on U.S. assistance to Russia to strengthen safeguards for operational missiles on alert, which represent a prime target for terrorists to seize physically or electronically. In addition, this group will call upon U.S. and international leaders for a full inventory of the nuclear arsenals of all nations, addressing the deteriorating conditions of nuclear early warning systems, and raising the international standard of protection against collusion by a military or government insider.

The United States and Russia own 96 percent of the world's 30,000 nuclear weapons. Other countries will be reluctant to stop their weapons production unless the two superpowers agree to stand down their nuclear warheads on alert and eventually eliminate their vast arsenals. Urgent collaboration with Russia is essential to prevent a nuclear tragedy.

During the last three years, the Bush administration has made nuclear programs a higher priority, with the allocation of resources for the modernization of the U.S. nuclear arsenal, a reinvigoration of the missile defense program, and increased militarization of space. Addressing U.S. nuclear policy and programs should be the top priority of any political party's national security agenda.

WHAT:

A summit of experts at
Three Minutes to Midnight: The Impending Threat of Nuclear War

ESR (Educators for Social Responsibility) and SANITY--Bringing Nuclear
Issues to High School and College Campuses

In this action-oriented session, students will share experiences, develop
strategies, and plan concrete steps for promoting awareness and activism
about nuclear issues in high schools and colleges. Facilitating the session will
be young people from SANITY, a youth group affiliated with Educators for
Social Responsibility, New York City.

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